Royal Navy experience of propulsion gas turbines and how and why this experience is being incorporated into future designs

The Royal Navy (RN) has in-sendee experience of both marinized industrial a nd aero derivative propulsion gas turbines since the late 1940s. Operating through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the British, Dutch, Fre nch, and Belgian Navies the current in-sen ice propulsion engines are marin ized versions of the Rolls Royce Tyne, Olympus, and Spey aero engines. Futu re gas turbine engines, fbr the Royal Navy are expected to he the WR21 (24. 5 MW), a 5 to 8 MW engine and a I to 2 MW engine in support of the All Elec tric Ship Project. This paper will detail why the Royal Navy chose gas turb ines as prime movers for warships and how Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) guidance has been evaluated and developed in order to extend engine l ife. It Mill examine how the fleet of engines has historically been provisi oned for and how a modular engine concept has allowed less support provisio ning. The paper will detail the planned utilization of advanced cycle gas t urbines with their inherent higher thermal efficiency and environmental com pliance and the case for all electric propulsion utilizing high speed gas t urbine alternators. It will examine the need for greater reliability/availa bility allowing single generator operation at sea and how by using a family of 3 engines a nearly flat Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC) down to harbour loads can be achieved.